Comoros: the country falls in 71st place, according to RSF

The Union of Comoros has lost four places this year and remains at the Indian Ocean region, behind the Seychelles and Mauritius. The president of the National Syndicate of Comorian journalists called in the end of intimidation exercised on professionals.

The whole world celebrated this Saturday, May 3, 2025, the World Press Day, placed this year under the theme: the impact of artificial intelligence on press and media freedom. As always on the eve, Reporters Sans Frontières publishes a classification which assesses the state of press freedom in 180 countries. Elles are better rated than other neighboring countries, like Madagascar, classified in 113rd position, the Comoros still tumbled into the ranking by losing 4 good places. 75th, last year, the Union of Comoros is found in 71st place. The factors behind this not even less significant fall, according to the NGO RSF, are three in number. “” The 5 -point drop in the country’s economic score, which shows that the economic conditions of the sector have deteriorated slightly last year. The country has also experienced a 4.9 -point drop in the country’s social score, which shows that dealing with certain societal subjects remains difficult“, Detailed, the African Bureau of Reporters Without Borders. Note that the scores allocated to countries are the result of an investigation that RSF conducts with its employees. They are responsible for answering a series of questions about press freedom during the year that has just passed. It should be noted that the arrests of journalists in the Comoros are still common. In 2024, colleagues did custody, while others went to prison before being released. Not later than January 29, our collaborator, also a correspondent of the Reuters news agency spent 24 hours in police custody for an article on the succession of Azali Assoumani.

To the gendarmerie

If journalists were for the first time authorized to organize their march in the capital on Sunday, which was not possible in previous years, this does not mean that they exercise in better conditions. In his speech, on Saturday, in place of independence on Saturday, on the occasion of World Press Day, the president of the Comorian union of journalists, Ahmed Bacar deplored the intimidation that many undergo. »» We firmly denounce the censorship and intimidation of which journalists practicing in public media are victims. Unfortunately, these pressures push some to self-censorship, for fear of dismissal by their management. Colleagues spend nights in police custody in cases that can be settled by the National Audio-Visual Audio Press Council. One wonders what is the use of having this CNPA, the regulatory body if, at the first opportunity, it is the gendarmerie and the justice which take over“, Asks the president of the SNJC. The editor -in -chief of the daily La Gazette des Comoros will abound in the same direction and demands more freedom. “” Authorities must understand that a journalist has the right to exercise freely without intimidation or censorship. Because unfortunately it turns out that today at the slightest error or if relayed information does not appeal to such, the journalist directly receives threats to the worst an arrest and everything. And it won’t make us evolve. The authorities must know that in the event of a press crime, the CNPA is there“, Insisted, Andjouza Abouheir, who in 2023 had been tried for relaying a speech when she was number two of the union.

Precariousness

In addition to pressures, journalists working in the Comoros must work while many of them have not undergone training. “” Thus, we ask for the organization of recycling training for professionals, as well as training for young people who embrace this profession. The press must be supported in order to be able to finance these training courses, essential to guarantee equitable processing of information and to ensure respect for ethics and journalistic ethics“, Pleaded, the president of the main union organization of Comorian journalists, which remained in the country. Ahmed Bacar, also did not fail to demand government support for the benefit of private media especially. »» State subsidies go primarily to public media and close to the regime, while private media often find it difficult to pay their journalists. Which contributes to fueling partisan and remunerative information, such as publisory borders“, Underlined, the president of the SNJC. A reality not only Comorian but also continental. In its 2025 ranking, reporters Without Borders, regretted that the media remain concentrated in the hands of some private groups close to power or personalities with political interests, thus compromising the independence of writing. »» This situation increases the pressure on writing, pushed to self -censorship for fear of losing these funding« ,
alerted the NGO.